Summary

Narration describes how the arriving English ship was captained by a well-regarded slave trader, educated and sophisticated, to whom Oroonoko had sold many slaves (i.e. prisoners of war) in the past. The captain and Oroonoko exchanged entertainments and gifts, but while Oroonoko and several others (including “the Frenchman”, the governor / teacher referred to in the previous section) were at a party on the ship, they were made drunk, put in chains, and thrown into the hold (the bottom of the ship where the slaves were kept). The captain then set sail, narration revealing his intentions to sell Oroonoko and the others as slaves.

Oroonoko, however, in response to this ill treatment, refused to eat or drink, and the other captives followed his example. The captain, desperate to not lose his investment, negotiated with increasing urgency with Oroonoko, eventually convincing him that he...